Villas ~ Lake Champlain

Love Hooded Mergansers

Quilt for Jenny & Al

This quilt top is scheduled to become a king size bed topper for Jenny and Al.  It's made from my hand-dyed fabrics.  Finished piecing the top today.  Now onto dyeing a backing for it and then onto having it quilted.

Quilts of Valor

About a week ago I decided to use more of my Flock of Geese blocks to put another top together.  I have over 70 of the blocks in all colors.   Since Quilts of Valor seem to prefer mostly quilts of red and blue I added just some gold/yellows to make this top.  Then just a few days ago I pulled out more of the blocks and put another top together for them.  They will look so much better after they are quilted.  That leaves me close to 60 blocks, after the New Year I'll decided what to do with them.  So for 2018 I have made 32 donation quilts and about 1/2 of them I pieced and quilted them.  Wonder how many I'll make in 2019??

Memories of Christmas Past

As I decorate I pause as I unpack the ornaments remembering who gave me each one and what their love and friendship means to me.

Pine cone wreath that hung in our Glenolden house.

Every year I'd buy us one ornament for the tree.

With Love from Mom and Dad

With Love from Philippa

With Love from Audrey

and more Love from Audrey

With Love from Ellyn

With Love from Bonnie

Garland for the tree I strung back in the early 70's.  Each strand was one color so I cut the strands, placed them in different bowels and restrung.

Garland on the tree

Quilts of Valor

Recently, I found out there's a quilting group for Quilts of Valor meeting close to my home at the Cape- May Lewis Ferry Terminal. I joined this past Friday, gifting them a scrappy quilt top I'd made quite a number of years ago. They'll have it quilted and it will be given to a veteran or serviceman or woman. Lots of new friends to make as there were about 50 women making quilts. One of the women came over to me and introduced herself as a quilting student as mine from 1987 when I was new to Cape May County. Pretty neat! I brought home a quilt top kit and it's together now. 

This top is actually 72" by 72" with 6 blocks across and 6 blocks down.

Made from a quilt kit supplied by QoV.

My Yard ~ Brazilian Skipper ~ Oh What a Year!

It has been the year of the Brazilian Skipper for me and much of NJ.  Several weeks ago I dug up the cannas for the winter to store in the garage. As I cut the stalks off I found over 2 dozen spent chrysalis indicating there were many more of these skippers in the yard then I originally thought.  At the time I also found another 6 chrysalises that I put into the garage.  It was amazing that any looked good with the fall winds we had been having. On November 29th, the last one eclosed and became a butterfly.  We were having OK weather at the time so he was let go and hopefully, made it South.

Brazilian Skipper caterpillar silking his nest area 11/4/18

Some of the spent Chrysalises  11/19/18

Chrysalises looking viable 11/19/18

Brazilian Skipper eclosed 11/29/18

Close-up Brazilian Skipper eclosed 11/29/18

My yard ~ Purple Finches

Didn't your Mom teach you not to chew with your mouth open?

Much Better ~ Purple Finch ~  We don't get these every year here.

Folded Star Christmas Tree Balls

A long time ago, my sister, Jenny and I, made lots and lots of the folded star balls for gifts for friends and family.  I might have even sold some of them back in the day.  Since we still had some here and I am downsizing I offered my FB friends first dibs on them before they got taken to a thrift shop.  Glad to say they were all spoken for and have gone to their new homes.

My Yard ~ Woodpeckers

Seeing the woodpeckers more this year including a yellow-bellied sapsucker but he doesn't come to the feeders.

The Downy Woodpecker is able to fit into the bar and get a better choice of nuts or berries.

The Red-bellied Woodpecker has to do some contortions to reach the seed openings.

But he keeps trying until he gets a prize!

Calling for Peanuts _ Blue Jay

The Blue Jay's love to sit in the tree and call me to bring them out peanuts which I lay on the railing for them to come pick up.

No Theme Fabric Postcard Swaps

from Sherri

Made by me to send someday

from Rachelle in Canada, her first ever fabric postcard

from Inge in Germany

November Postcard Display ~ Pieced Blocks

My Yard ~ Pine Siskins and Golden Crowned Kinglets

Pine Siskins are everywhere in the yard!

Can you see me now?

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Tyvek Swap Postcards Received

Titled - Black Holes

I have received all of my postcards from the tyvek swap I did.  The postcards are all just lovely

My Yard ~ Ruby-throated Hummingbirds & Ruby-crowned Kinglet

This fall has been a dismal fall for the butterflies but great for the birds.  I finally got the seed feeders out last week because there were so many birds here.  I have late Ruby-throated Hummingbirds here so have refreshed the nectar feeders again.  The hummer ignores the feeders in favor of the Mexican Sage though sad to say the winds this fall have really made a mess of the sage.  I also have Ruby-crowned Kinglets here feeding before they migrate further South.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Fabric Postcards

Using Tyvek Swap

 I have been working on postcards for my swaps in the past few days.  I am trying to work ahead which often doesn't happen.

Christmas Swap

Winter theme Fabric Postcards for swapping